4500 feet, particularly when the company is good and the roach pipes are lit. Now time and space bcome distorted and the wellsprings of energy rush forth. People come for pilgrimages for centuries in all parts of the world. I believe they deposited a great deal of their energy here. They find this energy by meeting so many beautiful people. Narrator if their aim is a thinly guised excuses to evade responsibility, then in effect they have not escaped it all, for even at the threshold of shangrila, they become the focal point of world concern, and ironically concern from that part of the world that they have the least use for, the Straight Society. Many of them claimed they found some kind of new feelings, new insights, a new religious experience, but i would like to point out these and i have known between 1200 and 1500 addicts in the last 10 years of my life i have not found one of them who can claim that they have taken a new position on values, have been able to move out into the world and find a more comfortable existence, have changed things, have made life more meaningful for somebody else. I find more and more a selfish existence, more and more selfcentered, and less and less concerned about the problems of the world, and more and more concerned about the escape from the problems of the world. Narrator even the Straight Society often makes hasty judgments, which, instead of strengthening communication between parents and their young, actually drives a wedge in deeper. It is important we not equate Something Like long hair, which many of us dont like because we cant tell the boys from the girls, but to equate long hair with the danger of taking a drug like lsd is really a tragedy, and the youngster, when we equate the two, is liable to turn out and stop listening to us and then go on and really take these other drugs. [sirens] over the last several years, cases of drug abuse, and addiction, and random use of drugs have given rise to aggressively increasing numbers of admissions to psychiatric hospitals, like this one here, bellevue psychiatric hospital. There have been large numbers of mixed types of drugs taken by populations, including for the first time in the last few years, young people, middleclass young people that have given rise to admissions to psychiatric hospitals with acute psychiatric manifestations. I see theres speed freaks and theres meth heads. Thats a difference. Most people i know are not speed freaks. Theyre meth heads. I can make an ahead, giving a guy too much. I almost come close to being an ahead. Im the only one that has any sanity left. Narrator the harsh reality of the narcotics ward does not offer the easy camaraderie of istanbul or the spiritual rewards of kathmandu, but bellevue, as well as hundreds of other psychiatric hospitals, offers a road back to responsibility. But some cannot be reached, at least not with the methods and answers in current use. Drug takers abound in everincreasing numbers, and not always in the conspicuous hippie community. I know that a lot of people think junkies, addicts Wander Around the world dressed as hippies with beads and flowers in their hair, but it isnt true of all of them. Peter was very much a boy who liked to wear nice clothes, was always clean. Narrator perhaps the most painful experience for a parent is having a son or daughter who outwardly conforms, but who still conducts the pilgrimage, still seeks the high, and through his very secrecy avoids detection, and at the same time, possible help. He was always dependable about being home on time at night, 11 00, 11 30, which wasnt late. During all this period, we later found he was on drugs. After the first two years, when he had been picked up in possession of drugs, it became obvious that his future was very indefinite. We were advised by doctors, psychiatrists, probation people that he was heading towards an eventual death, and shortly after his 20th birthday, he died of an overdose of heroin. Man has always searched for instant happiness in a pill. The search is going on as more and more potent psychedelics are developed. The search goes on with many kinds of substances. Our youngsters out here are drinking diluted eyewash, smoking crushed aspirin, drinking deodorant, injecting meat tenderizer, always in search for the magic high, the magic experience. I think what we as adults have to do is invite the youngsters to join our adult world and make it a better place. We have to admit we havent done such a perfect job, but to show them that the answer is not to drop out by dulling their consciousness or changing their awareness, but to help become activists and help us create a better world. Narrator perhaps there is a Straight Society, the universal establishment that many of our youth reject. But they will not create a Better Society by freaking out in kathmandu, turning on in los angeles. They must face up to what they are running away from, work constructively to bring about change, if change is needed, and we as the Straight Society, must reach out and help with honesty, compassion, and a sincere desire to understand, not only them, but ourselves as well, for we represent what they are reacting against. Up next on American History tv, a discussion about the role of music in the antivietnam war movement with political singersongwriters Country Joe Mcdonald and peter yarrow. During the vietnam war, mcdonald performed with country joe and the fish and yarrow was a member of peter, paul and mary. This discussion is part of a three Day Conference at the lbj library in austin, texas titled the vietnam war summit. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome navy veteran and singersongwriter, mr. Country joe mcdonald. [applause]